Island Health completed a successful test this week to see if it’s practical to use drones to deliver medical supplies to remote hospitals.
The test flights were at the Comox Valley hospital, and involved a large drone transporting boxes across a field.
Dr. Dieter de Bruin is Island Health’s executive medical director for Clinical Service Delivery on the North Island. He says the successful test shows there are lots of possibilities for using drones to deliver medical supplies, especially to remote communities.
David Hall, operations director for Laboratory Services for the Central and North Island, says the use of drones could be a “technological transformation” for Island Health.
“If there was a network of these semi-autonomous drones moving medical supplies, lab samples, blood supplies, all of that stuff – it would just be amazing.” he says.
For example, the hospital on Cormorant Island near Port McNeill relies on a ferry connection that isn’t always available in bad weather. A drone could deliver supplies in an emergency, de Bruin says.
Island Health and the University of Victoria, which supplied the drone, are exploring a potential partnership through the new North Island Research and Innovation Hub. The flight demonstration was an important first step.
“I think our first exploration with Island Health will really get us a better understanding of how we can use our technology to meet the needs of healthcare on Vancouver Island,” says Jay Matlock, manager of UVic’s Centre for Aerospace Research.
More demonstrations are planned this year, likely north of Campbell River. If successful, the program could be adapted for other parts of the province.
VIDEO: Drone flight test (Courtesy of Island Health)
